For many, it isn’t unusual to spot a stray cat around the neighborhood. They seem to come and go like the seasons in seems. Because of this, they are often ignored. After all, it’s just another cat.

One woman in Irvington, Alabama, noticed a stray cat hanging around her yard a couple of months ago and chose not to ignore it.

Shea Prior tried to get the cat to trust her so she would eat. Of course, it took some coaxing. When she finally did, a few days into their routine, Prior noticed something pretty extraordinary about the cat — she was a mama!

“I was petting her and went to pick her up and that’s when I realized she had milk in and had been nursing some babies,” she told The Dodo.

Prior was excited but also concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the family. Thus, she looked around for the kittens but couldn’t find them on her own. That’s when she tried another method.

She asked the cat to take her to see her kittens.

“I started telling her to show me to her babies, and that I bet her babies were so pretty.”

Whether it was her words or the cat realizing that she could help, the next day she returned but this time she wasn’t alone. Prior was watering the plants in her yard when the cat ran to her.

“She came running up to me and rubbed on my leg while making her little croaking noise she does.”

From there, the cat began to guide her to the shed.

“She led me over to my shed and I looked and saw a couple [of] little fluffballs staring back at me.”

It was love at first sight.

There were five kittens hiding in the shed. At first, they were a little scared to come out and say hi. But their mama showed them that it was okay.

“She flopped over on her side and started calling to them to come out and see me.”

It worked! Slowly, they began to come out of hiding to greet Prior.

“One of the little gray ones was super brave and came up to me with his little pointy tail held up high in the air and let me pet him immediately. Eventually, after about 10 to 15 minutes, they had all come up to me and let me hold them and pet them,” she shared.

Prior took in the family and began searching for a forever home for them. In the meantime, they were sheltered in a cardboard box in Prior’s bathroom.

Within days, Prior found homes for all of the kittens. She also decided to adopt the mama herself, who she named Cricket (due to her unusual meow). Fortunately, the kittens won’t be sent off until they are old enough to be away from their mom.

Meanwhile, Prior is unemployed due to COVID-19 and started a GoFundMe for vet bills in order to get Cricket spayed and the other kittens checked out.

“I’ve become unemployed due to the coronavirus. I want mama taken care of, but I can’t afford it right now. Anything will help, and if there is anything left after vet bills, the remainder will be donated to my local no-kill animal shelter,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page.

If you would like to donate, you can do so here.

We’re so happy to report that the family is doing well!

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Sources: The Dodo, BoredPanda